Field
The present disclosure relates to optical multiplexers/demultiplexers.
Technical Background
Wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) is the name given to the technology employed to add (or multiplex) a number of distinct wavelengths of light onto a single optical fiber, increasing information capacity and enabling bi-directional flow of signals. It is contemplated that, by combining multiple channels of light into a single channel, current multiplexer/demultiplexer assemblies can reach data transmission speeds up to 160 TB/s, or more.
Multiplexer/demultiplexer assemblies can be used as components in passive optical networks (PON). A PON is a form of fiber-optic access network typically comprised of an optical line terminal (OLT) at a hub and a number of optical network units (ONU) near end users. Multiplexer/demultiplexer assemblies are one of a number of components such as circulators, isolators, and filters that can make up the PON.